A place to hang your apron and catch a glimpse of country life

Lot’s of sunshine, seasonable temperatures, and the little things made today a perfect fall day in the Finger Lakes. It was one of those days when I felt like a lot got done. I baked homemade cinnamon pumpkin (yeast) bread, made an apple pie, AND whipped up a dish of coleslaw for dinner to boot.

Man, it’s been a long time since I’ve felt like spending that much time in my kitchen!

Once I closed the kitchen down for the afternoon I headed out for some fresh air. These little plants, or should I say weeds, were begging to have their pictures taken. And so I obliged and I even gave them each a caption.

Sunny and Bright; Yellow and WhiteMore Pink Than PurplePretty and Periwinkle

What kind of weekend did you have? Busy, slow, productive, or not so much?

This post is being updated from 2015 when it was initially written. That was the day that I flipped the switch and started blogging on a self-hosted site with a paid domain. And now for the good news… I’m back! Blogging back here at my old stamping grounds – yay!

Please continue to stay with me as I share my new recipes, DIY projects, photographs, and my simple country life back here where it all began.

This is a new favorite in our house. A fresh and flavorful pizza bread that can be made and ready to serve in an hour. Yes, you heard me correctly, 1 hour! And if you’re intimidated by making bread have no fear… Seriously, this recipe is great for beginner bread makers.

Pizza Focaccia Bread

3/4 c. warm water

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. yeast

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

Toppings

1/4 c. pizza sauce

1/2 c. mozzarella cheese

8 slices pepperoni, cut into small pieces

2 dashes of Italian seasoning

Spray a 9” pie plate with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, add water, sugar, salt, and yeast. Let sit for a couple minutes. Add oil and flour; mix thoroughly. On a lightly floured surface knead dough for about 1-2 minutes. Place dough in the prepared pie plate and press out. Poke holes in the dough (as shown below).

Last week I shared a post for homemade black raspberry jelly. We have berries are out behind our house that are free for the picking – and boy are they plentiful this year. I think all of the rain we had this spring has helped them grow. It’s hard for me to rationalize leaving these berries unpicked because they are loaded with healthy antioxidants and are super delicious. My only problem is that my stomach doesn’t tolerate seeds well so I have to be a little crafty and work around them.

I’m not sure why I didn’t get around to making seedless preserves and sauces before now but all I can say is better late than never.

Seedless Black Raspberry Sauce

3 c. of berries

1 1/2 c. water

Put berries and water in a large saucepan and bring a full boil for 5 minutes over medium heat – stirring often. Mash the berries in the pan as they soften while cooking them. (This will yield about 2 cups of juice).

Once the berries have boiled for 5 minutes remove from heat. Strain the juice through a doubled piece of cheese cloth and discard the seeds and pulp.

2 c. juice

2 tbsp. butter

3/4 c. sugar

1 tbsp. corn starch, plus 1 tbsp. water (mixed together)

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla

In a clean saucepan, melt the butter. Add juice, sugar, salt, and cornstarch; bring to a boil on slow heat – stirring constantly. Cook until liquid thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla. Pour into container. Makes 1 pint. Serve warm or cool. Store in the refrigerator (stir thoroughly before serving, or warm for a few seconds in the microwave).

Use this as a topping on ICE CREAM, MILKSHAKES, PANCAKES, or vanilla YOGURT (like pictured). One of these days I’m going to experiment and make a homemade black raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing using this sauce and when I do, I’ll share the recipe.

Imagine how happy you’d make a friend, neighbor, or co-worker if you presented them with a small jar of this. Think Christmas… I have froze bags of these berries so I can make fresh batches of sauce and jam throughout the cold winter months when ripe berries are hard to come by.

Grab a fork and a plate for a taste of this Blueberry White Chocolate Cheesecake Pie.

With the 4th of July weekend here don’t pass up the chance to make one of these deliciously rich and creamy pies. This pie is easy (no-cook) to make and will wow just about any hungry crowd. I made a pie for a gathering of six and we didn’t leave as much as a crumb.

Put all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and mix completely. Press into a pie plate and bake at 375 degrees for about 7 minutes.

Filling

12 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. white chocolate chips, melted

2 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. milk

2 c. whipped topping

1 pint of fresh blueberries ( add an extra half a pint of berries if you LOVE fruit)

dash of salt

In a large bowl with electric mixer, beat cream cheese and melted chips together. Add milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix in powdered sugar and whipped topping one cup at a time until smooth and creamy. Fold in blueberries. Pour into prepared pie crust. Refrigerate for two hours before serving.

Do you have plans for the 4th of July? What are you making for dessert?